Robert Jenrick in Nigel Farage’s firing line (Image: Getty/GB News)
has joked he would be happy to “coach” on how to be more like him after accusing the “charisma-free” Tory hopeful of copying him.
The Reform UK leader gave his verdict on all the contenders aiming to replace after they made their pitches to Tory members at the party’s conference in Birmingham.
Mr Farage said: “Now, when it comes to Jenrick, the great brexiteer who voted remain, I mean, basically, he’s trying to be .
“Now look, if you want, Robert, lessons in being , I’m very happy to coach you. So of course, in terms of policy, I agree with a lot of what he said myself, but I frankly thought he was a bit of a charisma free zone.”
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Mr Farage believed former home secretary won the event.
He said: “. I thought the content of what he said was absolute nonsense, from my perspective, but I thought he delivered it really, very, very well. Here was somebody assured and experienced. He didn’t look nervous, I think [it was] a very good performance from Cleverly.”
He added: “There was one standout moment, one moment that made me laugh out loud, that I think was delivered brilliantly, and it came from : ‘And one day, I got a call. I got mobilised. I thought I was going to Basra or Baghdad, and I was sent to Luton.’
“That still makes me laugh. And it was good, and it was clever, because actually, self deprecation in this country still works very, very well.
“So my view is, whatever the starting positions were, I had little doubt that it was Cleverly that made advances today, and I felt Jenrick actually was going backwards. That is my take on it.”
Mr Farage called Tom Tugendhat a “perfectly nice chap” who was not “bursting with charisma”.
He said: “A little bit like someone teaching a level geography or physics or perhaps something like that, not exactly bursting with charisma.”
Speaking to GB News, Mr Farage called Kemi Badenoch “very heavily scripted”.
He added: “I mean, staring at that autocue at the back of the hall, but telling the audience a lot of what they wanted to hear.”
Two of the four will be voted out by MPs next week.
The remaining two will be out to the members who will make a decision by November 2.